Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1887-06-02
INDIAN LANDS.
A Great Reform Commenced.
Washington, Nav II. 1881


Washington, May II, 1887.
Secretary Lamar is perf,cting his ar.
rangemcnts for putting into execution
one of the most important laws passed by
the last congress, the act for the allot-
ment of lands in severalty to Indians and
for making them citizens Of the United
Safes.
This law provides that every head of
an Iudiau family shall be settled on l6O
acres; every unmarried person over
eighteen years Of age and every orphan
shall have eighty acres; aud every
'singlc person" under eighteen, born
before the President issues an order
making allotments as reservation forty
acres. The alotments so made arc to be
inalicuable for twenty-five years, and the
lands remaining over are to be bought Of
the Indians by the government and
opened to homestead settlement only,
such homesteads, in tracts of l6O acres,
to be inalienable also for five years.
When the allotments have been made
all the Indians are declared to be citizens
of the United States, "entitled to all the
rights, privileges and imlnunities Of such
citize.s."
This law is one of the wisest and most
necessary, aud one OF the most important
in its results. passed by congress since
the close of the war. 1t carefully does
justice to the Indians; but it raises them
out Of the anomalous and unwholesome
position in which they have been kept
1t breaks up the tribal relation, which
has been fatal to their progress; and
while by the inalienability Of their allot
ments and the sale Of their surplus laud
they will be the, wealthiest 250, ,00(
people in the world, they will when tn
law has been fully carried into effect b
in that condition 10 which they will hav'
the care of their own future, US othe
people in this country.
II The colored people, starting with nj
such advantages as this law secures tn
Indians. have made very great progres
in the twenty-five years since the wal
, The Indians, settled on farms Of thei
own, will start very greatly ahead Of tn
colored people who began with absolutel
. nothing except their freedom.
The law excepts from its operatio
the Chorokees, Greeks, Choctaws, Chicl
asaws Seminoles, Osages, Miami
!, Peorias, Sacs aud Foxes, who inhabit
3 part Of what is known as the India
Territory, and the Seneca Nation, VII
own . reservation in the state Of Ne
York.
AN ANTIQUITY TO BE ABoLIsHED.
When tho allotment law is full
: carried into effect there will be no mol
!, necessity for an Indian bureau. Whe
r it has finally disappeared aud the Indial
!, are citizens and landholders and bon
! holders also, as they will be to vel
. pretty tune, people viii wonder that i
:; 20 many years the reservation syster
!. with its expense aud its corruption, v
q allowed to exist. But the greatest a
! real wonder will be that it was ever p
|, in the course Of extinction.
IL To Secretary Lamar will juatly belol
e tho credit Of forming aud working up
q an Indian policy which has from d
: day he entered the Department. Of d
: Interior had for its single object y
y iual abolishment Of the reservation =
y tenn and tho settlement Of Indians
2 citizens; without isjussios % then. b
" With yast beas6t 70 he govsrsnsat y
The people.
6serefaSy Lamar, i NJ RI annn